The Maharashtra government has decided to drop the departmental enquiry against former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh and has revoked his suspension, ordered on December 2, 2021, officials familiar with the developments said on Friday.
This decision was made on Wednesday, just a day before the Supreme Court invalidated Uddhav Thackeray’s floor test of 2022, following the split in Shiv Sena. Interestingly, this development has left the current power dynamics between Shinde and Fadnavis undisturbed in Maharashtra.
As part of the decision, Singh’s suspension from that period until his superannuation on June 23, 2022, will now be treated as a period spent on duty, and all his perks will be restored, officials said. The move comes after the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Delhi, on March 16, 2023, allowed Singh’s petition to challenge his suspension.
In response to the development, NCP spokesperson Clyde Crasto expressed his views by saying, “All those who played a role in defaming the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government are now seemingly getting a fresh start.” On the other hand, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, while addressing the press in Nagpur on Friday, mentioned, “We have taken note of the CAT verdict.”
Singh, an IPS officer, had approached CAT in May last year, citing that he was targeted by the previous ruling dispensation, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), led by Congress, erstwhile Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), in the state, after he exposed the alleged wrongdoings of the then home minister, Anil Deshmukh. Singh had accused Deshmukh of collecting ₹100 crore from bar owners in the city every month with the help of police officers.
{{/usCountry}}Singh, an IPS officer, had approached CAT in May last year, citing that he was targeted by the previous ruling dispensation, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), led by Congress, erstwhile Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), in the state, after he exposed the alleged wrongdoings of the then home minister, Anil Deshmukh. Singh had accused Deshmukh of collecting ₹100 crore from bar owners in the city every month with the help of police officers.
{{/usCountry}}Singh, who served as Mumbai’s 43rd police commissioner from February 29, 2020, claimed that he was abruptly transferred from the post on March 17, 2021, and reassigned as Commandant General, Home Guards, Maharashtra, just four days after assistant police inspector Sachin Waze, who was then heading the Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) of the Crime Branch, was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Waze was arrested in connection with allegedly planting an explosives-laden SUV outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence, Antilia, and the subsequent killing of the vehicle owner, Mansukh Hiran.
After the state government failed to respond to Singh’s plea, CAT ruled that the suspension order had lapsed. An official from the home department revealed that Singh was receiving a provisional pension post-retirement. “Following CAT’s observations, we promptly sent the file to the higher-ups, who decided to cancel the suspension. We will now proceed to clear his post-retirement dues and gratuity,” the official stated.
Previously, the Maharashtra government had initiated departmental proceedings against Singh, accusing him of dereliction of duty and misconduct on eight counts.
The charges included showing “extraordinary interest in revoking the suspension of dismissed police officer Sachin Waze and reinstating him in service.”
Singh was also alleged to have transferred two police officers from the CIU to accommodate Waze as the head of the unit.
Singh was also charged for failing to submit a written report to the government about the Antilia episode – it was alleged that he had submitted a report about the incident only on his last day as Mumbai police commissioner.
Additionally, he was accused of not following protocol while filing his complaint of corruption against Deshmukh, as he directly approached the Governor, the chief minister, and others while also leaking it to the media. His unauthorised absence from duty after he was posted as the Commandant General, of Home Guards, was also frowned upon.
He had also allegedly failed to appear before Justice KU Chandiwal Commission, which inquired into his allegations against Deshmukh and tried to influence an assistant police commissioner, who had lodged a complaint against the then deputy commissioner of police, Zone IV (central Mumbai).